Tunneling machine



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iMMTE@ STATES Larrea PATENT Q :annum: c. MORGAN, or RICHMOND HILL, NEW Yoan; OLIVE EUGENIE MORGAN EXECUTRIX or SAID EDHUND o. MORGAN, nncnasnn.

TUNNELING MACHINE Application led October 6, 1917. Serial No. 195,034.

To all wlwmz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDMUND C. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond Hill, New York city in the county of Queens and State of ew ork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunneling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of a machine of the class named which shall be of improved construction and more efficient and economical in operation than machines for a similar purpose previously constructed.

he invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of partspshown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the drawings- Fig. l is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention shown in operating position in a tunnel.

ig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 together constitute a side elevation, on a larger scale than Fig. 2, of the machine shown in Fig. 2 with parts broken away, each figure representing a portion of the machine.

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 constitute a top plan view of the machine, the iigures corresponding respectively in order to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view of the front portion of the machine taken substantially on line 11-1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 12 is ay vertical sectional 'view substantially on line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view substantially on line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view substantially on line 141-14 of Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary ve`rtical sectional view substantially on line 15-15 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing ythe sliding frame for one of the tool holders.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of one of the tool holders with the cutting bits in place.

Figs. 18. 19 and 20 are detail views showing the construction of one of the cutting bits together with the method of grinding.

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing a slightly modified construction lfor holding the tool holder frames in place.

Fig. 22 is a \tio'n of the discharge conveyer and a'car for receiving the excavatedv material.

Fig. 23 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is a vertical 24e-24 of Fig. 23;

Figs. 25 and 26 are a top plan view and a vertical sectional View respectively of a modified form of construction.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged view of a portion, of Fig. 2, with the reduction gearing shown in sectional elevation.

Fig. 28 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid pressure connections shown in Figs. 12 and 14.

/ Fig. 29 is a diagrammatic view of the Huid pressure connections shown at the upper portion of Fig. 1-1.

Although the present invention is applicable to machines of various sizes, the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings is designed for cutting tunnels of a very considerable bore, as for example eighteen or twenty feet square, and the machine as illustrated is so constructed that itis capable of driving such a tunnel through solid rock as well as through softer material. A machine of this capacity requires heavy construction and it is therefore desirable that it be made in sections to facilitate handling. The main framework of the machine, as shown in the drawings, comprises an upper plate 1, the sections of which are held together by bolts 2, and a lower plate 3 having bolts 4 for holding the sections together. The rear end of the lower plate 3 is provided withv a projection 5, Figs. 2 and 3, which fits betweenv a pair of projections 6, the projections 5 and 6 formlng eyes through which a pivot pin 7 passes to connect the rear portion of 'the plate 3 with a framework 8 with which a plurality of hydraulic jacks 9, l0 and 11 are connected which form an anchorage by means of which the machine is fed forwardly in the tunnel. The jacks 9, 10 and 11 are each provided with an opening 12 sectional view on line side elevation of the rear porders-is produced by in their base portions in which plungers 13 are slidably mounted and which receive the liquid for forcing the plungeIS into contact with the roof of the tunnel to hold the jacks firmly in position. Each jack is provided with a hollow piston rod 14 which has one end rmly secured to the base of the jack and which is provided with a piston 15 on its forward end. The pistons 15`are arranged to reciprocate in cylindrical chambers 16 in the frame 8, and relative movement between the pistons and cylincylinders on opposite sides of the pistons through pipes 17 and 18. The cylinders 8 are connected with the openings 12 in the jacks throu h pipes 19 which extend through the ollow piston rods 14. In this way the pressure within the chamber 12 is equal to the pressure within the chamber 16 so that when liquid is forced into the chamber 16 in frontV of the piston 15 to force the tunneling machine forward, the upper section 13 ot the jack will be forced upwardly into tunnel with. a pressure proportional to the forward pressure on the tunneling machine,

and hence proportional also to the back` ward pressure on the jack. On the other hand, when the pressure on the front of the piston 15 is removed and liquid forced into the cylinder in the rear of the piston, the pressure within the jack will also be removed so that the jack will be freed from contact with the roof of the tunnel and will therefore be ymoved forwardly toward the tunneling machine.

The central jack 10 is of heavier construction than the two outside jacks 9 and 11, andl in operation is intended to alternate with the outside jacks so that the machine is forced forward first b the two outside jacks and then when t e limit of their movement has been reached, the pressure is transferred to the central jack, the two outside jacks being drawn forwardly while the forward movement ofthe machine is accomplished by the center jack.

A hydraulic pump 20 is mounted on the frame 8 and is driven by an electric motor 21 for supplying li uid under pressure to operate the jacks. ump 20 also supplies liquid through pipes 22 and 23 to jacks 24 and 25, located near the forward end of the machine, Fig. 1. These jacks have shoes 26 and 27, respectively, arranged to bear against the sides of the tunnel so that themachine may be shifted laterally for directing 4its forward movement, the pivotal con#l nection formed by the rts 5, 6 and 7 permtting such lateral shi ing of the frame of the machine. Each of the ipes 22 and 23 1s provided with a pair o branches 28 and 29 controlled by valves 30 and 31 so that liquid under pressure may be transforcing liquid into the.

contact with the roof of 'the mitted through the pipes, or the liquid in the jacks may be permitted to exhaust through the pipes, depending upon which of the valv 30 and 31 is operated.

The cutting operation by which the material is removed to form the tunnel opening is performed by a rotary drum or cutter head shown at 32 in Fig. 1 of the drawingsl as of suflicient diameter to provide ample clearance for the sides of the machine. This drum, as shown in Fig. 12, is mounted to rotate about an upright stationary shaft 33 rigidly secured to the forward portion of the frame plates 1 and 3. The drum is rotated by a pair of spur gears 34 and 35 keyed to the drum adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof respectively and meshin with gears 36 and 37. The gears 36 and 3% are idler gears mounted on a' vertical shaft 38 and transmit power from gears 39 and 40 which are rigidly secured to a vertical shaft 41 which rotates in bearings 42 and 43 as well as bearings in the frame plates 1 and 3, as shown best` in Fig. 5. The bearings 42 and 43 are supported from the base plate 3 and form a part of a gear casing 44 which encloses a bevel gear 45 on the shaft 41 and a bevel pinion 46 meshing with the gear 45 and secured to a horizontal shaft 47. The shaft 47 is journaled ina bearin 48 pro jecting from a lgear casing 49 w ich contains a series of reduction 'gearing driven from the main shaft 50 of the, motor 51. Thecasing for the motor 51, as well as the gear casing 49, are secured tothe frame plates 1 and 3 by lag screws 52. By this power transmission train, the c utter head' or drum 32 is given a comparativel powerful rotation about thesha 33 asan upright axis.

In Fig. 27 I have shown reduction aring which may be used. As shown in ig. 2, the gear casing 49 is secured rigidly to the main frame or supporting framework. In this gear casing, as shown* in Fig. 27 are mounted two trains of gears, so that a comparatively slow and powerful rotation of the cutter-head ma be secured from the electric motor 51. ounted on the motor shaft 50 is a s ur gear 208 which meshes with upper an lowerl spur gears 209 and 210. The gears 209 and 210 are respectively mounted on bearings 211 and 212 which are fixed to the gear casing 49. It will thus be seen that when the `motor 51 is operated the gears 208, 209 and 210 simply rotate on their own axes, but transmit rotary movement to the internal or annular gear 213 with which the gears 209 and 210 are in mesh. The gear 213 is provided with a shaft 214 which is joutrnalled in a center bearing 215 in the part' ion 216 in the casing49. The shaft 214. carries a gear 217 whichjmeshes with the upper and lower ars 21'8 and 219, which are in mesh with e internal or anslow and y nular gear 220. The upper and lower gears 218 and 219 are respectively mounted on bearings which are fixed respectively at 221 and 222 to the central partition 216. It will thus be seen that when the ar 217 is rotated, rotary movement will transmitted to the annular gear 220. The latter is keyed to the shaft 47 which is journalled in the bearing 48. The shaft 47 carries the bevel gear 46 which meshes with the bevel gear 45 for transmitting rotary movement to the cutter-head through the gears, 39, 36 and 34, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The reduction gearing shown in Fig. 27 is in duplicateform so as to secure greater reduction in speed of the shaft 47, and also to secure rotation of the shaft 47 in the same direction as the rotation of the motor shaft 50. The rotation of the shaft 214 will be the reverse of the rotation of the sha'ft 50, but the next reversal of rotation causes the shaft 47 to have the same direction of rotation as the motor shaft 50.

The drum 32 preferably comprises two sections having upper and lower circular portions respectively designated as 201 and 202 in Fig. 12. The sections of the drum are provided with inner central annular flanges 203 and 204 through which extend bolts 205 held in place by nuts 206 so as to securely hold the two sections of the drum together while leaving a large circular opening'. I The drum is hollow, but since it is substantially closed, al1 theparts within this drum are protected from dust and cuttings.

The periphery of the drum 32, as shown in Figs. 6, 10 and 11, is provided with a series of vertical dove-tailed grooves in which rthe cutting tools are secured, the grooves being arranged in groups of three, and the grooves of each grou diier somewhat from one another. he rearmost groove of each group, designated by the numeral 53, extends the full length of the drum and retains a holder 54 supplied with a series of cutting bits 55. The holder 54 terminates somewhat short of the upper and lower ends of the drum, as shown in Fig. 6, and is positioned opposite an elongated notch 57 extending along one side of the groove 53, but being somewhat shorter than the main groove so that it corresponds in length to the tool holder 54. A retainingblock 58 is mounted in the openin 57 and is provided with a shoulder 59 ig. 11) arranged to overlie one of the longitudinal ribs 60 extending alon the inner edges of the tool holder 54. fixed flange 61 engages the opposite rib 60 of the tool, holder, as shown in Fig. 11. The retaining block 58 is heldl in place by a sliding wedge 62 operated by a piston 63 and a hydraulic cylinder 64.

The block 58 may be moved laterally away from the tool holder 54 by a hydraulic plunger 65 mounted 'in a cylindrical opening 66 construction the tool holder 54 can be locked or unlocked in its position in the periphery of the cutter head, the locking operation being perfprmedby hydraulic pressure. (See ig. 11. i

Since the drum 32 is held between the supporting plates 1 and 3, it of course does not extend to the floor and roof of the tunnel and hence means must be provided for cutting the material away above and below the drum to provide clearance for the sup orting frameworkof the machine which 1s located beyond the ends of the main portion of the cutter head. To accomplish this result, the other two peripheral grooves of each roup, which are designated by the numera s 67 and 68, respectively, are provided with sliding tool holder frames 69 and 70 which carry tool holders 71 and`72 at their outer ends in position to be projected beyond the ends of 'the main drum, as shown in Fig. 6. The frames 69 and the tool holders 71 are arranged to be slid upwardly and the frames and the tool holders 72 are slid downwardly while they are passing through that portion of the rotation of the drum 32 in which the cutting is performed. The frames are retracted inwardly, as shown at the left in Fig. 6, during the idle portion of the rotation of the drum so that the tool holders will pass between 'the upper and lower plates of the supporting frame. The mechanism for operating the sliding frames will best be understood from Figs. 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16. Frames 69 and 70 are balanced against one another by means of a spur gear 75 mounted to rotate on a shaft 76 and meshing with racks 77 and 78 formed along adjacent edges of the two frames, as shown best in Fig. 15. Hydraulic cylinders 79 and 80 are supported within the wall of the drum 32 in the rear of the frames 69 and 70, respectively, and each cylinder is connected with its corresponding 'tool holder frame by a piston rod 81 which connects with a piston within the corresponding cylinder. The piston rods are secured to Athe rear of the tool holder frames by projections 82, as shown in Fig. 14. Each cylinder is provided with hydraulic pipes 83 and 85 connected with 'the opposite ends of the cylinder, and these pipes lead to four-way valve 86 controlled by a lever 87 and link 88, the link 88 being provided with a cam roller 89 which operates in a cam groove 90 formed in a circular bracket 91 secured to the post 33, Pipes 92 and 93 connect with a source of hydraulic pressure and an exhaust chamber, respectively', as will bedescribed, so that 'the pressure within the cylinders 79 and 80 may be controllfed automatically by the camgroove to move the piston rods 81 in either directlon within the cylinders. 

